When Walls Fall
by Kaylakayv
Summary: Gilbert Beilschmidt has been living within the walls his whole life, but what are they there for? Are they to keep the people in, or keep whatever resides outside, out? After an unexpected visit from a stranger named Ivan, Gilbert must find out what's truly important. It just depends on what he decides.
1. Chapter 1

The crisp air filled his lungs as the early morning dew clung to the silver strands of hair that fell down in his face. Gilbert's pale fingers glided across the rough tile as he looked out over the rooftop. The sun peaked over the great stone wall, giving light to the unknown world outside its borders. Of course, a little of those rays shone down into the towns square illuminating the cobblestone streets. For the long eighteen years of his life the boy had wondered what could possibly be kept behind the stone walls. He'd heard the rumors of the course, the whispers of the elders. Horrible people resided outside of the walls, and no one, absolutely no one, was to leave their protective boundaries.

A clear whistle that ended with a soft, floating note caught Gilbert's attention and he looked down to see a tan boy with messy acorn hair, waving impatiently at him. "Come on Gilbert! We must hurry before the rush starts!" The albino only smirked, sliding down the slightly damp rooftop and onto the fire escape. He pale hands took hold of the smooth metal ladder as he quickly made his descent.

"Calm down Antonio. We still have a few minutes before the bell sounds." A loud chime cut Gilbert off, and he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Okay, maybe I was wrong."

Antonio huffed, shaking his head in slight annoyance, but he could not hide the smile on his face. The boy was almost always smiling and cheerful, something Gilbert envied. No one could hate Antonio, not even the grumpy boy Lovino who pretended he did. "Just come on, we have to find Francis before he gets himself in trouble." The two took off, following the winding streets like they were a part of them. Francis' mother owned the flower shop just a few blocks over and the blond was always chatting up the customers, men and woman alike. Though, he always saved a flower for the grumpy cafe owner across the street.

For some reason Francis decided that he would be the one to make Arthur smile. He would spend days on end, flirting and giving him small gifts that Arthur always brushed off. If there was one thing that Gilbert found noticeable about Arthur it was his large eyebrows that seemed to crawl across his face when he frowned, which was quite often. Antonio held his arm out, effectively snapping Gilbert from his thoughts and causing him to halt. A horse drawn carriage blocked their path for only a few short moments as the coachman heeded them to move faster to their destination. The wealthy would request their services from time to time since they were to important to actually walk to the markets.

As the path cleared, Antonio and Gilbert once again took off. They dodged the earlier morning traffic, stealing a loaf of bread when the baker wasn't looking. If anyone found out then the two would be sent to the prison, but no one actually knew where the prison was. Many people said that the prison was outside the walls, and no one ever returned from there. "Antonio! Gilbert! You two are late this morning. What kept you?" Francis wrapped his arms around the two boys, smiling brightly. His shoulder length blond hair tickled Gilbert's cheek and he quickly batted it away.

"Yes, well Gilbert was up on the roof daydreaming again. I swear he never sleeps." Antonio joked, messing up the albino snowy hair. Gilbert just huffed and pushed his friends away.

"I was only watching the sun rise over the walls." He made his way over to the mirror that hung on the wall of the flower shop. Francis would always guide the costumers over to it, holding a flower out to them as he told them how perfect they were. Most of the men didn't really appreciate it, but the girls were almost always left giggling, blushing messes. Crimson eyes stared back at him as Gilbert ran his fingers through his messy hair, the light from outside filtering in and coloring the almost white strands with a sort of rainbow effect. His pale skin was such a stark contrast to his scarlet eyes, like blood on snow. He was either seen as extremely attractive or a bad omen. No in between.

"'Tonio will you please put the open sign in the shop window?" Francis called from somewhere behind the counter, sending Antonio skipping over to the door and flipping the sign around. They would help Francis run the shop in the morning, make sure everything was running smoothly before the blond's mother would wake and take over. Then they had the whole day to themselves. Usually the three of them would head over to the cafe so Francis could hit up Arthur for a little bit, and if they still had time, head over to the market. Antonio always loved heading down to the market where the twin brothers, Feliciano and Lovino, had their own little tomato stand.

They had happened upon the two on a really hot summer day when Antonio had gone in search of good tomatoes. Honestly, the brunette was obsessed with the little red vegetables, but it had proved him well. Lovino had been lying in the shade of the stand, grumbling about the heat when Antonio had tripped over him. Even as the angry boy yelled and cursed at him, Antonio only smiled and politely asked for a tomato. Of course, Lovino being Lovino just threw it at him, but after that the two started to spend time together. Francis said they loved each other and Gilbert had to agree, they were just to dense to realize it.

The morning passed quickly, fading into the heat of the day. The walls kept out most of the wind unless someone where to climb onto a high vantage point, but sometimes it was strong enough to send a breeze through the village. Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis were sprawled out across the rooftop of the albino's home, watching as the clouds drifted past. "Lets go to the bar tonight." Francis piped up suddenly, putting his weight on his elbows as he propped his body up. "It would be a nice change from our normal routine. We're of age now, so we should have fun!"

"You make it sound like we never go to the bar, Francis. We just went the other night." A laugh bubbled up Antonio's chest as the brunette shook his head at his friend. "But the bar does sound nice! The three of us can relax and have a drink or two."

It was never just a drink or two. By the time night had rolled around the stars stood out against the stars, like diamonds glistening against a solid black backdrop, the three were already consuming too much alcohol. Gilbert could hold his the best, always ordering beer while Francis and Antonio normally stuck to wine. The village didn't have a lot of alcohol to spare, but it was always enough to keep them happy. The albino sat in the corner of the room as Francis and Antonio spun their very intoxicated partners around. They had somehow convinced both Arthur and Lovino that drinking with them would be a good idea, but Arthur was horrible with alcohol. He became very clingy and extremely hilarious. Multiple times throughout the night, Francis was forced to pull his date off of a table and help him button his shirt back up, but he would never take advantage of Arthur while he was drunk. He would spend the next day aiding him in working off the hangover and assuring him that he hadn't done anything too dreadful.

"You look lonely, where is your girlfriend?" Gilbert jumped at the sudden intrusion to his thoughts, crimson eyes flickering up to meet soft violet orbs. The larger man slid into the seat across from him, providing him with a soft smile.

"I don't have a girlfriend.. and please, feel free to sit down." He said sarcastically, eyeing the man. Gilbert didn't know him, but he was quite attractive. Platinum blond hair the fell into brilliant, violet eyes that seemed to look right into the albinos soul. "Who are you?" Way to be blunt Gilbert.

The man seemed to find his response amusing and he quickly took a shot of a clear liquid which he doubted was water. "My name is Ivan, and I would actually be surprised if you knew me. What's your name sunflower?"

Everything about Ivan was odd and foreign, far different from anyone Gilbert had met before. He vaguely wondered what a sunflower was, but he decided not to question it. He didn't exactly trust Ivan, he gave off an intimidating aura that made the albino want to leave as soon as possible. Finally he breathed out his name, throat going dry. "Gilbert."

Ivan hummed softly, drinking more of the clear liquid. Panicked screams filled the bar and Gilbert looked up in shock. For the first time he saw the Law Enforcement actually doing something, and they were obviously looking for someone. Ivan seemed to care less about them, but he sighed and stood up anyway, placing his hands on Gilbert's hips and sliding down into his back pockets. "I would be careful now sunflower. They're going to get you if you don't read those instructions very carefully. If you tell anyone, and I mean anyone, your friends and family will pay the price. Do I make myself clear?" Gilbert was almost frozen with shock and fear, but he forced his head to move up and down in a silent nod. "Good, now sit back down and keep your mouth shut. I will come back for you later." With that Ivan left, slipping right past everyone like he was never even there.

Gilbert pushed his hand into his back pocket, pulling out a small slip of paper:

 _They're watching you, go deep into the woods on the left side. Remember my warning~_

"I just wanted a beer." He groaned, slamming his head down onto the table.


	2. Chapter 2

**I was actually going to ditch this story, but thanks to a special request by Caramel-Buns I will try to regularly update this story! Plus, I'm getting more into it so it will probably be bit longer than I originally intended! Which means, yay, more chapters! I hope you enjoy!**

Being an incredibly clumsy person, and sneaking out in the dead of the night with a light sleeper for a brother is not the best idea, but Gilbert did it anyways. He had a feeling that whoever Ivan was, he was someone that the albino shouldn't cross. The soft violet orbs haunted him ever since the man had disappeared suddenly in the bar. It was as if he had never even been there and it was all Gilbert's imagination, but the note in his pocket said differently. A small thump resonated around the room and he cursed softly to himself, grabbing his knee and silently hopping around. He had hit it on the windowsill as he was sliding out. Ludwig shifted in his sleep, eyes fluttering open for a second before falling shut again.

Gilbert let out a long breath and swung down the ladder, landing with a soft thud on the ground and taking off through the deserted streets. Past midnight no one ever dared to leave their homes. The Law Enforcement patrolled all throughout the night, looking for anyone who might be trying to go out past the walls. Of course, no one was ever stupid enough to want to, so their job was pretty easy and simple. Walk in circles all night, don't get too drunk, and try not to whistle too loud or you get complaints. He slipped into an alleyway as a man in uniform walked passed him, humming softly to himself. Once the man had passed, the albino pushed off the brick siding and ran towards the left side of the village.

It wasn't far, just a quick jog, but it was beyond nerve wracking. He came to the edge of the woods and stared into it's dark depths that threatened to swallow him whole. The tree branches reached out for him, beckoning him to come inside and lose himself in them. Gilbert took a hesitant step forwards, but he lost his confidence and turned to back up. His back hit a warm, solid object and an electric shock of fear jolted through his body as he spun around to face a surprised Law Enforcement officer. The man's emerald gaze was harsh and calculating, and he was staring right at Gilbert.

"What do you think you're doing? No one is supposed to be out on the streets at these hours! You will have to come with me and I swear if you try to run, I will shoot you." It took Gilbert a moment to recognize the shorter man, taking in his whole appearance. He wore a forest green uniform and his honey blond hair framed his face in an almost bob hairstyle. He was the cranky Law Enforcement officer that had shot at people before, Basch Zwingli.

"I-I'm sorry, I passed out at a bar and my friends must have left me there..." Gilbert's voice trailed off when Basch scowled at him, his small hand gripping his shoulder harshly.

"You think I'm going to believe that bull shit? You're coming with me kid." The albino didn't exactly plan what happened next, but then again he hardly ever planned anything he did. He twisted free of the officers grasp, running straight into the woods, following a winding trail that only he could see. In other words, he was running blindly and just trying his best not to run into any trees. Basch bolted after him, crashing through the woods and screaming loudly that he needed help. The whole village would be awoken because of him, and Ludwig would wake to find that his idiot older brother had disappeared. There was no way Gilbert could go back home now, not once Basch had seen his face, and his face was pretty recognizable.

Snarls and loud barks filled the night, the unmistakable sound of dogs on a hunt coming from all sides. The albino cried out as sharp teeth buried into his right arm, but he just kicked the dog away. Gilbert flew through the underbrush, tree branches and thorns alike came up and tore at his body and clothes. The hounds were getting closer and would probably surround him any second now. Worst of all, he could see the wall looming just yards away from him. Once he hit the wall he would be trapped with nowhere to go, no matter how fast he ran. A hand clamped over his mouth and a strong arm ripped up his shirt, flinging him up into a tree.

"Be quiet and do not make any sudden movements. Keep your hand over your arm, we do not need blood dripping down and alerting them that we are hidden up here, got it?" Ivan snarled into his ear, holding his body close to his chest. Gilbert placed a numb hand on his bleeding arm and tried to disappear into the other mans embrace, trembling like the leaves that danced in the wind around him.

The shouts of the officers below them grew louder until they stood directly under their feet, frowning and talking in hushed angered voices. "He can't leave the walls. If he finds a way outside then everything that we worked for since his birth will be for nothing! Find him before sunrise, before it's too late." They all vanished one by one, hunting Gilbert down.

"What do they mean? Ivan, what's going on? What are they talking about, I'm just a normal pers-" Ivan placed a gloved hand back over Gilbert's mouth and slowly helped him out of the tree. The sunlight was starting to peak over the walls, bathing the world in it's warmth. He would usually be sitting on his roof by now, taking in the sounds of the early morning and just enjoying the peace before the village woke up and began a new day. It was almost the same every waking moment of their lives, get up, get ready, do their jobs, make small talk, maybe head to the bar before curfew and then return home. Never once had Gilbert ever thought to break those unspoken rules. Never do something out of the ordinary.

"Come on, we have to get you out of here, follow me and stay quiet." For such a large man, Ivan was surprisingly gentle as he lead him through the dense growth, even picking him up a few times to get him over particularly high bushes. They stopped a lot, hiding back in the trees as the officers continued to hunt for him, but Ivan was good at vanishing from sight. They finally reached the outer ring of the woods, coming to a small, clear opening. There was no way anyone could have found it unless they knew exactly where to look for it.

"Watch for anyone or anything that seems suspicious, alright?" Gilbert nodded and turned back to face the woods, keeping his hand clamped tightly on his arm. No matter how hard he tried to stop it the blood continued to drip down his pale skin and onto the ground below, coloring the green grass a dark crimson. "Come on Gilbert, lets go." The albino whipped around and his jaw dropped. What had once been solid wall was now a stone door that was swung open wide. The sun was brighter on the other side, filtering in and igniting the colors around him so they were more intense. "Let me show you my world, the real world." Ivan took his hand and gently guided him through the hole in the wall, shutting the door behind them with a soft thud.

"Welcome, to beyond the walls."

 **Sorry it's so short, but I really wanted to end it here because the next chapter will hopefully go more in depth about everything! I hope you liked it and thanks again to Caramel-Buns because I was about to delete this story!**


	3. Chapter 3

Gilbert gasped softly as the warm sunlight covered his pale body in its bright rays. He raised a blood stained hand to shield his eyes from the light, squinting as he took it all in. There was a dirt path that cut through the seas of green grass that drifted like waves in the wind. That was another new thing, the wind. It's soft, gentle caress pushed through Gilbert's silver hair like a gentle stroke of another persons hand. The air was fresher and everything seemed more alive. The albino spun around to stare at the walls that loomed over him and Ivan, casting a shadow over the village that sat in its interior.

"Do the walls still give you a sense of comfort?" Ivan's soft voice pulled his gaze to the taller male who had remained silent as he took in this new world.

"I don't know... they seem much more ominous and scary now that I no longer am inside of them, but it could also be because I don't feel as safe as I used to. I don't know what's out here. All my life I have been told that everything beyond the walls is dangerous, and that there are criminals that lurk about because they could not stay inside with the rest of the villagers." Gilbert nervously fidgeted in his spot beside Ivan, becoming uncomfortable in his presence.

"I am not going to hurt you. If I wanted to hurt you I would have done it inside the walls instead of risking my life to get you outside of them where you would be safe. Come on, we should get your arm bandaged up so you don't pass out from blood loss." He gently placed a hand on Gilbert's shoulder and guided him to the dirt path. The dust kicked up around his feet, illuminated by the sun that seemed much too high for early morning. The world was way too bright for this time of day and it confused Gilbert who turned back to Ivan with a frown.

"How come everything is so much brighter?"

Ivan gave him a look that clearly said he thought the pale man's question was stupid, but he answered him anyways. "Because there are no walls to block the sun from touching the ground directly. It takes a very long time for the sun to rise above those high walls and give the village inside its borders light. Here day lasts much longer than it does there, and the nights are shorter as well. You will have to adjust to it, but you will be fine." They walked in silence after that, Gilbert brushing his fingers through the waist high grass so it swooshed and swayed as he passed. The world outside the walls was very similar to that of the one inside, but the minor details took Gilbert's breath away. There were plants and animals he had never seen before. A large caramel-colored animal with a long snout, almost like that of a dog's, looked up with large startled black eyes when they came too close. It turned and ran through the grass, prancing with an elegance that left Gilbert watching in wonder.

"It's called a deer. The people in the walls hunted them to extinction long before you or I were born, but out here there are still plenty of them. There used to be pine trees there too.." Ivan pointed to a large green tree covered in branches that made it look almost like a circular triangle. "but they were all chopped down and used to build houses and supply wood for the fires in your homes. Eventually they will run out of trees to chop down for fuel and they will be left with the decision of leaving the walls or start to destroy homes so they can create heat in the winter. The walls are stupid, and people knew that when they created them, but I guess everyone has forgotten..."

Gilbert stared at Ivan, curiosity getting the best of him. "What do you mean when the walls were built? We were always told that the walls have always been there and that they are the only reason why are safe and alive. There was a time when there weren't any walls?" Ivan's violet orbs shifted down to look at Gilbert as if he was trying to decide whether or not he should try and explain any of this to the albino.

"I will explain it with time. If I throw a bunch of information at you at once then I'm sure you will never fully understand. It will be just words from a stranger that you will not like to hear or want to understand. Once you have less loyalty to the walls and those inside of them, then I can explain all of this to you. Just know that you are not some ordinary person, you are very important and people will want to use you. They want to keep you and everyone else in the dark."

"What? Ivan that doesn't make sense! Can't you just give me a straightforward answer?" When the other male didn't reply he huffed and plopped down onto the path, crossing his arms over his chest with a slight wince since his arm was still very much injured. "I am not going anywhere until you explain this stuff to me!"

Ivan gave him a blank look and easily picked him up, carrying Gilbert over his shoulder like he weighed nothing. "You're very stubborn you know that?"

"It's one of my more awesome traits. Now put me down!" He whined, trying to wiggle out of his grasp, but a small whimper of pain fell from his lips when he put too much strain on his injured arm.

"Stop moving so much, alright? I am not putting you down. We are almost to town, and once we get there I can bandage you up and maybe answer some of your questions. For now you just have to trust me." Gilbert glared at the ground that passed under Ivan's feet as he walked, staring at the soft indents in the dirt. There really wasn't anything he could do other than just let Ivan carry him and sit back and enjoy the ride. Try to at least. The faint sound of voices, laughter, animals, and many other noises slowly started to filter up to the two males as Ivan slowly started to descend down a hill, being careful not to go too fast in case he were to bounce too much and hurt Gilbert. The albino had other plans as he once again started to wriggle around in his grasp, trying to see the town that Ivan had mentioned.

"Put me down, Ivan! I won't run off or anything! I don't want to be carried around like some child!" He complained, a soft noise of exclamation breaking through the peaceful sounds of civilization when Gilbert was dropped to the ground unceremoniously. Luckily it seemed no one, but Ivan of course, had heard him. The other male was chuckling softly into his faded scarf, trying to hide a small smirk into the material. "Jerk." Gilbert grumbled, scrambling to his feet. Ivan just laughed and led him down into what appeared to be the market section of the town. There were vendors and small shops everywhere. A few pubs were buzzing with laughter of drunk men and women, and the doors to Inns were wide open so anyone could walk in and book a room. Ivan kept Gilbert close, carefully weaving his big body through the throngs of people until made it to the end of the street. He walked into a worn down Inn, nodding at the caretaker as he made his way to his room.

Ivan held the door open for him, directing Gilbert to sit down on the bed while he grabbed medical supplies. The albino looked around the room, noticing that everything looked neat and hardly used. It was probably because someone had cleaned while Ivan was away, but still, it was all very orderly. The taller male returned, pulling his bottle of clear liquid out of his coat once again. "It's going to sting a bit, so bear with me. You can hold my hand if you need to."

"I don't need to hold your hand! I'm not pathetic!" Gilbert protested loudly, but the moment the alcohol touched his skin, tears sprang to his eyes and he gripped onto Ivan's freehand as tightly as he could.

Ivan didn't say anything about Gilbert holding it, just giving his small, pale hand a gentle squeeze before pouring more of the alcohol on the cut. Once he was sure that the wound was clean enough he used a towel to wipe up the blood and placed a clean cloth to his arm, wrapping it in bandages. "Hopefully we won't need to stitch you up, but until we're sure, I'm going to keep putting bandages on your arm. You like alcohol right?" Ivan stood and quickly cleaned everything up before returning to Gilbert's side with an outstretched hand. "How about we go to the pub just down the street?"

Gilbert nodded and slowly took hold of Ivan's hand, letting him lead him out of the room and back through the crowded streets. The pair received curious looks, but no one stopped them or asked any questions, which Gilbert was quite alright with. The loud laughter and cheer that resonated from the pub made Gilbert smile softly. It reminded him of home and the nights he and his friends went out to drink together, which was almost every night when he thought about it. It was nice and relaxing to have something so familiar after the hectic morning he had been having. Ivan walked up to the counter, quickly ordering Gilbert a beer, and something called vodka for himself. Not to his surprise, when Ivan returned he had a glass of the clear alcohol in his hand once more. "Ivan, what is that?"

The other male raised an eyebrow, shock and disbelief covering his face. "You have never had vodka? Oh my dear friend you must try it." He thrusted the alcohol into Gilbert's hand, making him almost drop it on the floor. He slowly brought the glass to his lips and took a drink. He started coughing and his nose scrunched up at the strong bitter taste. "Hmm.. Maybe it is too strong? The alcohol behind the walls is very weak and does not taste very good." Ivan gently patted his back, taking the vodka and raising it to his own lips. The alcohol all but vanished as he drank, only stopping when he was sure there was no more.

Once Gilbert's throat no longer burned and his stomach had settled he took a drink of the beer that Ivan had gotten for him. It was just a bit stronger than the beer behind the walls, but it was nothing he couldn't handle after drinking the alcohol of Ivan's choice. "That is better, yes?" Ivan asked out of nowhere, smiling down at the albino.

"Yeah, it's much better." Gilbert returned the small smile, bringing the bottle back up to his lips. The two drank for a few hours, starting a casual conversation. The albino talked about his brother and two friends back inside the walls, and in return Ivan told him about his sisters. The other male hadn't seen his family in a very long time, but he had faith that the two of them were fine. "They're strong and smart." Is what he kept saying. Even with the buzz of alcohol in his system, no matter how hard Gilbert tried to coax answers from Ivan, the man just wouldn't explain what made him so important. Every question was brought with a quick subject change which only upset and confused Gilbert even more.

Finally they left the bar, heading down the mostly deserted road. It was late and Gilbert was tired, hardly able to stay upright with the alcohol running through his veins, and the exhaustion that weighed him down. Ivan helped him stand, leading him back to the Inn and to their room.

"There is only one bed. I can sleep on the floor if yo-" Ivan was cut off by Gilbert sleepily shaking his head.

"Just sleep in the bed, I don't care as long as you don't do anything stupid." He sat on the corner of the mattress staring up at Ivan with slightly fogged crimson eyes.

"Alright, but first lets get you changed." Ivan helped him up and into the bathroom, handing him a shirt that was obviously the larger males. Gilbert slipped on the soft material, folding his dirty clothes and setting them down on the top of the dresser.

"We can buy you some new clothes tomorrow." The albino turned to look towards the sound of Ivan's voice, smiling lightly when he saw that he had already changed and crawled under the covers, but his scarf never left his neck.

"Alright, thank you." Gilbert slipped into the bed beside Ivan, facing the wall. "Goodnight." He whispered softly, struggling to keep his eyelids from falling closed.

"Goodnight Gilbert." Ivan whispered back, and just as Gilbert closed his eyes and fell asleep, he saw a face flicker across the wall. It was too blurry to make out, but he figured it was just the alcohol playing tricks on his mind. With that he slipped into unconsciousness, the sound of Ivan's soft breathing soothing him into sleeps comforting embrace.

 **This is my longest chapter so far, kind of sad right XD I need to write more, but hey I updated lol I really hope you liked it! I hope to have the next chapter up sometime soon!**


End file.
